Matches

Chapter One

 I clocked into work at five in the morning at the Starbucks on Broadway. Anxiety filled my brain as I rushed to turn everything on before anyone came in. Per my luck, the front doorbell rang as I quickly tied the green apron around my waist.

"Hello! Welcome to Starbucks. How may I help you?" I asked the bald man in a grey suit.

"I'm going to have a large black coffee. No sugar nor cream, please. Trying to ease off the weight." The man said, patting his round belly.

Smiling in response as I headed to the other side to fulfill his order.

This is how it is every morning. Regardless of how early it is, some consumers have little trouble in getting their caffeine. Since this has been my job for nearly three years, an acknowledgment can be made by me and the customers. So far, I'm the employee here, since my manager, Brandy, claims to be stuck in traffic.

Once the coffee was done brewing, I filled it in a large, white cup with the green logo on it and gave it to the man. I rang him up, so he can insert his credit card and go on with his day. Once the transaction went through, I printed out the receipt and gave it to him.

The man shook his head and said, "No need. Thank you, ma'am."

With that, he was out the door. I was going to sit down for a bit when someone else came through the overly decorated, glass door.

~❤~

Since then, my morning was hectic. I spent all day fulfilling everyone's order. It's 7:30 and my manager still has not come in yet. At least my favorite co-worker, also known as my best friend, Jessica, is here. We've been friends ever since we started working in the cafe together, and she's been nothing, but a joy. We both attend college near here. Jessica goes to New York University studying Biology and secondary education in hopes of becoming a high school biology teacher one day.

As for my background, it is being a general studies student at Manhattan College located in Riverdale, New York. It is a forty-five-minute subway ride from work and it is always hectic when I need to go back by the afternoon, yet I'm still managing. Though I still don't know what to do with my life, my curiosity has been explored through various clubs, campus events, and the rest. Being stuck in this confusing rut during the spring semester of my sophomore year makes me feel dumb, but hopefully, some idea will come up. The stress of work and school consume me like a straw.

"Another order!" Jessica told me.

I scurried to look at the order before I rushed to carry it out. Since Starbucks is a fast-paced job, where everything has to be in tip-top shape at all times, this is really the place where I get my workout. My body is neither too skinny nor too fat, although if I don't watch myself, the last one might be a reality. There is a free gym at my school, but there's no time for me to go there. A stranger could consider me beautiful if they were a fan of red-dyed hair, a nose piercing, and creative makeup. I'd add tattoos to complete the look, but there's no money for that right now.

I poured skim milk into the latte, before announcing the customer's name, "Kylie!"

"It's Kayla." She corrected, before grabbing her drink and walking off with her friend.

I wanted to say but shook it off before I completed my next round of orders.

Starbucks has a really poor reputation for misspelling or mispronouncing names. I get that it can be frustrating, but can you really blame us? We're one of the biggest food chains in the country. If not, the world. We have to take the customer's money and get their orders done, yet they expect us to have the time to learn a name? Out of the many people that come here?